May, 2026 Megillah
WITH LOVE
Last month, for the first time in all my years up here, I went out of town for Passover. I think I’ve made a seder at home every year, or pretty close. I certainly haven’t left the Coast. This year my mom and I were invited to the seder table of my lifelong friend, Rabbi Eric Weiss, and his husband Dan, who retired a couple years ago to Palm Springs. For all kinds of reasons, it felt like the right thing for us this Pesach. Seder in the desert!
It was weird and wonderful to be at someone else’s table, with someone else’s circle of beloveds, someone else’s candlesticks and special dishes. Eric led the seder very differently than I might have, which was a treat for me. He’s such a great rabbi!
He started things out by opening up the zipper on a suitcase. There was nothing inside. “We are all going on a journey tonight,” he said. “We don’t know where it will lead. We may not know exactly why we’re leaving. And we have an empty suitcase with us. Along the way we will find things that we need to carry with us on our journey. We can put them in our suitcase.”
We parsleyed and matzahed and charoseted and all that. And then suddenly—I’m not even sure where in the flow of things—I found what I needed for my journey.
It was a random comment that Eric made. He was soliliquizing a bit, as we rabbis sometimes do. This may be a bit of a misquote, but I hope I get the gist here: “To be resilient we don’t need meaning. We don’t need purpose…” (“What!?” shouts Margaret silently. “Meaning and purpose is all I ever think about!”) Eric went on: “We need AWE.”
Awe. Three little letters. I am struck dumb. I’ve been quiet anyhow; I’m in the house alone. But now I’m quieter. I stop here and look around my funny little office, as I have done at least a billion times before now. And I am AWED by my surroundings: over my file cabinet hangs the sign made by a homeless man 42 years ago for the first demonstration I ever organized: “May God have mearsing [sic] on us all.” I almost remember the guy: older than most of the men on Skid Row at the time, shy. I feel the tenderness of his sweet misspelling, his prayer for mercy. The sign is made on a flattened corrugated cardboard box. My dad, who ran a bulk mailing company at the time, had donated a stack of cardboard boxes for sign making. I remember that he was proud of my maiden rabble-rousing efforts and wanted to contribute something.
Below that, magneted to my file cabinet, is a message sent to me by Zo while Mickey was dying, which says in part, “I know I can’t change the very fact of life with its pain and pleasure, so it has to be our response, like, okay okay okay….” Above my head is the crazy “No Mikveh No Tikveh” clock with its ferociously loud tick, given to me long ago at a Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education conference by this sweet, kind of out-of-place guy in a black coat and fedora who had a car trunk full of mikveh swag. To my right is a photo of me holding newborn Henry Marco Chalfin Lappé, our grandson, with his heart-shaped face and glorious hands. Below that is a photo taken probably in the late 1930’s of my great-grandparents and their children and grandchildren in Verece, (now) Ukraine, the little girls in matching gingham dresses with big round collars (nearly all killed in the Shoah).
Let’s not even start on the books crammed into the shelves all around me: a full shelf of prayerbooks, a shelf of books about the life cycle, another of mystical texts and books about mysticism, another about apartheid, genocide, revolution, another of Jewish novels, mostly Philip Roth, another shelf or two or three of random favorites. So much brilliance and passion and testimony. Nearly infinite hours of research and imagining and writing, millennia of experience processed, distilled through the lens of individual souls, published, bound, sold (hi, Gallery Bookshop!). A long-ago memory flashes to mind: 24-year-old me trying to hail a taxi when I first arrived in New York City for school, with 19 boxes of books stacked on the sidewalk behind where I stood. I smile at my young self, toting my books from place to place until I got old, and here they are all around me still.
I’m at my computer, and to the side on my monitor I see my message in-box with the names of my friends who have texted me in the last day or two. I take a minute to look at their names, to remember our little exchanges. Some of them say, “I love you,” or “Thank you,” or, “I’m okay.”
At my left elbow is my Tanakh, a little dog-eared from use. Just above it is my MCJC directory with its sweet cover made by Susan and Sarah’s dear friend with all your names inside.
All this before I even raise my eyes above the monitor and look out the window to redwood trees swaying slightly in a post-storm breeze. Then I take a sip of water. Cool, beautiful water! You could think about that for a while.
It’s almost unbearably intense. So much life in this little 49-square-foot space. So much life in my little life. I struggle sometimes to feel alive in the swirl of news and distraction.
That’s what I needed to put in my empty suitcase, that sensation of intensity. Awe. Life.
I’ve gone out in the world for a couple hours since I wrote that last sentence. Now I’m back at my same old desk in my same old office. It’s cluttered and crowded, stacked with stuff. Just its regular old mess.
Where’s that suitcase? I need to open it up again! Oh good, it’s right here with me.
AND THE COUNT GOES ON
This year’s counting of the omer (the period between the Passover and Shavuot) has been full and beautiful, with offerings from Ruby and Hunter and Margaret to support our daily counting and several gatherings to increase our attention and joy. Still to come:
Omer Meditation on the Bluffs, May 7th at 5:30 PM
Beautiful ocean views and a quiet meditation on the sefirot at the Mendocino Bay Viewpoint on the south side of Big River, on the west side of Highway 1, just off Brewery Gulch Road. Follow the short trail to the overlook; bring a folding chair or whatever you'd prefer to sit on.
Hunter’s Botanical Omer calendar is available to download here for anyone who missed a printed copy:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/28pv44vnf6p8j3l8jnomk/counting-the-omer-calendar-5786.pdf?rlkey=c6qnjy1pjj1d9h1gvtnwhnzgj&dl=0. It has each day's blessing, and a drawing of a plant or fungal friend drawn by Hunter to remind us of the sefirot.
Ruby Gold has created some lovely Omer illustrations and explanations which she is happy to share with our community. Please contact Ruby at goldencenter@mcn.org if you would like a copy.
SHAVUOT
Torah will be revealed anew, as it is every year, and we will be there to receive it. Shavuot is the festival of the first fruits, marking the date when the first of the winter wheat was ready for harvest, and it is also celebration of matan Torah, the revelation of Torah at Mount Sinai. It is customary to study Torah late into the night. And we here love this custom! This year Shavuot begins on Thursday night, May 21st. We will gather at the shul at 8:00 PM to learn Torah together, join in midnight prayer, and feast on blintzes. We will begin with a short evening service and yizkor (service in remembrance of our loved ones who have died). We will share a more detailed schedule of teachings closer to the festival. Hold the date and prepare yourself for revelation!
SHABBAT MORNING SERVICES
A full Shabbat service is led by community members, with singing, chanting and silence, Torah teaching and reading, blessings for healing and peace, and time for mourners to say Kaddish. The teachers for May are listed below. We have hybrid services, so come to the shul or Zoom in from 10:30 AM until about 12:30 PM. The Zoom address is below.
| 5/02/26 |
Emor |
Raven Deerwater |
| 5/09/26 |
Behor-Bechukotai |
Gowan Batist |
| 5/16/26 |
Bamidbar |
Margaret Holub |
| 5/23/26 |
Shavuot |
Raven Deerwater |
| 5/30/26 |
Nasso |
Margaret Holub |
If you would like to give a Torah teaching during Shabbat services, or want more information about what’s involved, please contact Raven Deerwater at raven@taxpractitioner.com or (707) 813-7951.
ZOOM ADDRESS
We are using the Zoom address below for many MCJC events. Password is shalom. Disregard the numeric passcode at the bottom of the invitation unless you’re dialing in on a landline. If you have questions or problems, contact susan.tubbesing@gmail.com.
Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7071836183?pwd=NzFaTkpjOXVYMDNnNnprOXlnZjVhQT09
Meeting ID: 707 183 6183
Passcode: shalom
Numeric Passcode: 776001
KABBALAT SHABBAT
Kabbalat Shabbat in May is at the home of Bonnie Mahoney in Fort Bragg on Friday, May 29. For directions and to RSVP, call her at (631) 466-0156. Following a short service, we will share a vegetarian potluck.
Shalom and Tracey Green in Fort Bragg will be our hosts in June. We need a host for July and October. If you have outside space, summer is a great time for us to celebrate Shabbat outdoors. To host a gathering, please contact Mina at (707) 937-1319 or mcohen@mcn.org.
We still have some vegetarian lasagna in the shul freezer if someone needs it. Contact Mina at (707) 367-3390 for instructions to get into the freezer.
Photographing at MCJC events
As a community, we have many lovely events worthy of chronicling in photographs and other recording methods (video, audio), and for sharing in the Megillah, on the website, or other forms of communication. We also want to respect people’s privacy by not using a likeness of anyone who does not want their picture shared. The Communications Committee wants to address this issue by posting signs at community events that say the following: “By participating in this event you give permission to be photographed and potentially to have that photo published. If you don’t give permission, let a board member know directly or by email and we will ensure that your likeness is not included in any published photo. Please remember that photographing and other recording is not allowed during religious services.”
Before we implement this, the Committee wants to hear from you. Please email your thoughts and concerns, by May 21st, to Neal Davis, the chair of the Communications Committee at nealg5m@gmail.com.
PHILOSOPHY CIRCLE
The wonderful Philosophy Circle that Rabbi Paige created for us continues under Margaret’s care. This month, we will gather on the first Wednesday of the month, May 6th, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM at the shul. We take a topic and a little bit of Jewish wisdom and reflect on it together in a very open way. Our theme for May will be beauty. All are most welcome.
BIRTHDAYS
Please reach out to the celebrants noted below and spread love. If you would like your natal day listed, email sarah.nathe@gmail.com with your birth date. (We list the day, but not the year, and your name will be featured only during your birthday month.) Below are the May birthdays:
5/14 Sandy Glickfeld, 5/15 Nancy Drooker, 5/19 Rhoda Teplow, 5/28 Susan Levenson-Palmer, 5/30 Rachel Lahn
ELDERS’ CONVERSATION
The elders meet to reflect and connect every second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 3:00 to 4:30 PM on Zoom. This month we will meet on May 12th and 26th. The group selects the next theme for conversation at the end of each meeting. New topics come up all the time, and we keep an ongoing list to choose from. Conversations are personal and open and sometimes revelatory. People of all ages are most welcome.
JUSTICE GROUP
Justices meet every month on the last Monday at the shul from 5:30 to 7:00 PM, in-person only. The May gathering is set for Monday, May 25th. We will share our work and plans for the Justice projects, Citizenship Scholarship, and the Native Plants Healing Garden; find out what's happening with the Rapid Response Network and Accompaniment Group; and explore other areas of Justice-making. At this meeting you will hear about our plans for presenting an award-winning film at the shul in June in honor of Pride Month. Come discover how you might participate. As usual, we incorporate the joy of song, prayer, poetry, and snacks! Want more info or have a question? Contact Donna Medley at dmthebeez9@gmail.com. Or check the e-list: groups.google.com/g/mcjc-justice.
BOOK GROUP
The book group will meet on Monday, May 18th, at 2:00 PM on Zoom to discuss Mila Eclipsed, by our own Fran Schwartz. What happens when the past refuses to stay hidden? On her 60th birthday, Marlena Koning receives a gift that will change her life: a wooden box containing letters written to her by her Jewish birth mother while in hiding during World War II. Before they went into hiding, her parents placed her with a Dutch Catholic farm family. Marlena’s name was changed to Mila and she grew up with the two sons of Anna and Mies Koning, who risked everything to save her. The letters from her birth mother reveal a world of love, loss, and sacrifice that compels Marlena to confront the fractured pieces of her identity, and she embarks on a journey of reconciliation. Can she embrace both families without losing herself? Fran based the novel loosely on the life experiences of an old friend, and she spent many years researching and writing the book. It was worth the wait! If you are not currently in the Book Group, please contact Fran Schwartz for the Zoom invitation at franbschwartz@gmail.com. The book is at Gallery Bookshop.
THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF KURT WEILL
There is still a chance to bid on an item from the online auction back in November and support the activities of our beloved shul. Singin' and Eatin' by the Bonfire will be a catered affair with yummy munchies provided by Sharman, a toasty bonfire, and guitar-strumming by Joel, who will be playing oldies and goodies to sing along with. There are two seats available. Saturday, May 16th from 3:00-5:00 PM; rain date is Saturday, May 30th, $25 per seat. Bring a chair or blanket.
To sign up and make payments, go to Auctria (https://event.auctria.com/a65e47c6-4bb9-41bf-954c-389d1bd5de5b/ab9f2f9045da444b9fc745b4313e6594). Or send a check to MCJC at P.O. Box 291, Little River 95456; indicate BONFIRE on the check. All proceeds go to MCJC.
SINGING AS RESISTANCE
by Holly Tannen
You may know Ronnie Gilbert from A Radical Life in Song, her performance at the Mendocino Music Festival a few years ago, and her autobiography of the same name. You may have heard Ronnie sing with Holly Near, on tour or on their CDs Lifeline and Singing With You. Perhaps you saw Ronnie’s one-woman show, “Mother Jones: Face to Face with the Most Dangerous Woman in America,” in which Ronnie portrayed the indomitable labor organizer.
If you’re as old as I am, you might remember the Weavers: Ronnie, Fred Hellerman, Lee Hayes, and Pete Seeger. Their single of “Goodnight Irene,” with the Israeli song “Tzena, Tzena” on the flip side, made #1 on the pop charts in 1950. But that was when the war on Communists and their “fellow travelers” ramped up. Folksingers, with their ability to move crowds, were targeted as dangerous.
By 1955, HUAC, the House UnAmerican Activities Committee, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy (with the help of Trump’s mentor, Roy Cohn), subpoenaed singers. Had they ever been members of the Communist Party, or sung for Communist gatherings? Pete Seeger was called to testify before them. Had he or the Weavers ever sung for Communist gatherings? He refused to plead the Fifth, instead invoking his First Amendment rights. The Committee pinpointed his song “Wasn’t That a Time,” which the Weavers frequently sang:
The fascists came with chains and war/ to prison us in hate/
And many a good man fought and died/…Wasn't that a terrible time?
Pete asked them if they’d ever heard it. No. He picked up his banjo. Would they like to hear it? NO! Only a legal technicality kept him out of jail for that impudence, but the Weavers were blacklisted. No clubs would book them. Pete began singing in schools, paradoxically turning on a generation of children to his “radical“ ideas of solidarity through song. Ronnie continued to sing solo and to act. She went to grad school, got a master’s degree in psychology, and became a therapist in Berkeley.
In 1961 the Tokens made the Weavers’ song “Wimoweh” into a hit called “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” and a lot of Baby Boomers learned about the Weavers and their protest songs. The 1970s brought the Women’s Music movement. Holly Near, who had grown up listening to the Weavers and revered Ronnie, thought she had died. When she dedicated an album to her, Ronnie, very much alive, was intrigued. They met, sang together, toured, and made four albums. Their version of Holly’s song, “Something About the Women,” became an anthem celebrating female strength and resilience:
One woman weaves a message/Singing the sounds of silence/Another wheels her chair to the center of the stage/Changing minds and attitudes …
On tour, Ronnie met Donna Korones. They fell in love and Ronnie came out as a lesbian. In 2006, Ronnie moved to Caspar to live with her daughter, Lisa Weg, and Lisa’s daughter Zoë. But folksingers never really retire, as long as there are wrongs to be righted. Ronnie sought out women singers, taught them vocal exercises, and encouraged their performing and songwriting.
In 2013 she moved to The Redwoods in Mill Valley, home to many old radicals. Seniors for Peace headed downtown every week with their walkers, wheelchairs, and signs, to protest whatever needed protesting. Ronnie died in 2015, at 88. Her legacy is strong. I feel her presence whenever I need to stand up for something, as we all do now.
We are a gentle, angry people/ And we are singing, singing for our lives.
We are a justice-seeking people/ And we are singing, singing for our lives!
Holly Tannen and Lynda McClure will lead a workshop in “Women’s Songs of Resistance” at the Occidental World Music and Dance Festival, Saturday, May 30th. Come and sing: occidentalcenterforthearts.org
MCJC BOARD MEETING
The MCJC board will meet on Wednesday, May 13th at 5:30 PM on Zoom. If you wish to attend part of the meeting, please contact Susan Tubbesing for the Zoom address at (707) 962-0565, or susan.tubbesing@gmail.com.
THANKS TO THE MAILERS
Sandy Glickfeld prepared the last Megillah for mailing. She did a beautiful job. Even if you can’t sing like her while you work, it’s still a mitzvah! To volunteer, contact Terry Clark, our Circulation Manager (at paintedpony64@yahoo.com), or Sarah Nathe (at sarah.nathe@gmail.com).
MEGILLAH SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Mendocino Megillah is published monthly as an emailed PDF and an online version. The online Megillah is posted on the newsletter page of the MCJC website: www.mcjc.org/newsletter. Any information on changes in email address or in email notifications should be sent to Sarah Nathe at sarah.nathe@gmail.com. If you choose not to be a contributing member of MCJC, we request a $54 annual fee for the Megillah.
EDITORIAL POLICY
The Mendocino Megillah is published monthly, except for August. The deadline for article submission is the 20th of the month before publication. The editor will include all appropriate material, space permitting, with the exception of copyrighted material lacking the permission of the author. Divergent opinions are welcome. Material printed in the Megillah does not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the MCJC Board of Directors.
TODAH RABAH
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING DONORS:
Donna Weintraub, Karen Rakofsky, Merry Winslow, Helen Jacobs, Annie Lee, Fran Schwartz, Lew Mermelstein, Steve Antler & Carla Jupiter, Carolyn Steinbuck, Esther Ehrlich & Neal Davis, Annie Lee, Myra Beals, Sally& Lee Welty, Jonathan Blatt, Arinna Weisman, Louisa Aronow, Anita & Mike Korenstein, Kelly & Steve Kalus, Claire Ellis, Laura Goldman & Dennak Murphy, Susan Hofberg, Kath Disney Nilson, Tracy Salkowitz & Rick Edwards, Alena Deerwater & Jon Goodstein, Bob Evans, Mark & Deena Zarlin, Raven & Becky Deerwater, Ruth Rosenblum & SA Ephraim
Karen Rakofsky in memory of her mother, Mildred, on the occasion of her Yahrzeit
Lisa Fredrickson in honor of Donna Neumark
Arleen Weisman & Camille Weisman in memory of Leon Weisman, father of Camille and husband of Arleen
Camille Weisman in honor of Arleen Weisman’s 97th birthday
Richard Louis Miller in honor of Edward Isaac Miller
To the Adele Saxe Tzedakah Fund from Mark Kalman in memory of Irene Geller Kalman
To the Justice Group’s Citizenship Scholarship Fund: from Jeannette Rasker & Robert Cutler, and from Richard Louis Miller in Honor of the Miller Family: Sarana, Evacheska, Aaron
Please Support Our Generous Underwriters
Albion Doors and Windows: Thousands of recycled windows, French doors, thermal windows, entry doors, new & used. Leaded glass, arches & unique styles. Liquidation prices at (707) 937-0078 in Albion. www.knobsession.com.
Karen Camille Bowers Studio: Painting workshops and studio gallery. Website: karenbowersstudio.com Email: karenbowersu2@gmail.com Tel: (707) 684-0656.
Frankie's Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor: Homemade pizzas, Cowlick's ice cream, and other yummy things to nosh on. Beer and wine available. Open every day but Monday from 11:00 am - 8:00 pm at 44951 Ukiah Street, Mendocino, (707) 937-2436. www.frankiesmendocino.com.
Out of this World: Telescopes, binoculars, & science toys. 45100 Main Street, Box 1010, Mendocino. (707) 937-3335. www.OutofThisWorldShop.com. Serving all your interplanetary needs since 1988.
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Thanksgiving Coffee Company: Artisan roasted on the Mendocino Coast since 1972. A B Corporation featuring a wide variety of certified organic, shade grown coffee & fair trade coffees. (800) 462-1999. Learn more and buy coffee at www.thanksgivingcoffee.com.
Yogajoy classes on zoom with Helen Jacobs. Gentle yoga to improve flexibility and strength and reduce stress. Contact Helen at hjacobs@mcn.org or (707) 367-3498.
MCJC underwriters increase their businesses’ visibility to over 350 subscribers and improve their presence on the web. $150/year.
| Chevra Kadisha |
Clare Bercot Zwerling |
956-571-0945 |
clarebercot@icloud.com |
| Cemetary |
Donna Montag |
707-877-3243 |
montag@mcn.org |
| Outreach (new to the community), Finance Committee, Announcements |
Susan Tubbesing* |
707-962-0565
|
susan.tubbesing@gmail.com |
| Justice Committee, Security |
Donna Medley* |
707-962-9493 |
dmthebeez9@gmail.com
|
| Women's retreat, Annual dinner |
Harriet Bye |
707-937-3622 |
bysawyer@mcn.org
|
| Kabbalat Shabbat Coordinator |
Mina Cohen |
707-367-3390 | mcohen@mcn.org |
| Volunteer Coordinator |
Joy Lancaster* |
||
| Building Maintenance |
Marnie Press* |
707-937-1905 | marniepress@gmail.com |
| Treasurer, Finance Committee |
Raven Deerwater* |
707-813-7951 | raven@taxpractitioner.com |
| Landscaping, Library |
Nina Ravitz* |
||
| Secretary, Finance Committee |
Alix Sabin* |
415-238-1342 | |
| Communications |
Neal Davis* |
neal@group5media.com | |
| Yahrzeit Notifications |
Bonnie Mahoney |
631-466-0156 | bonniemahoney2015@gmail.com |
| Book Group, Bikkur Cholim |
Fran Schwartz |
707-937-1352 | franbschwartz@gmail.com |
| Web dude |
Gus Mayeno |
webmaster@mcjc.org | |
| Megillah Editor, Name & Address & Subscription changes |
Sarah Nathe |
707-962-0565 |
sarah.nathe@gmail.com |
| Circulation Manager |
Terry Clark |
paintedpony64@yahoo.com | |
| Rabbi |
Margaret Holub |
707-734-0311 | mholub@mcn.org |
